All-American Cowboy

by Dylann Crush

  “True.” She set the glass down on the desk. “Speaking of my hubby, he’s going to be here any minute to drive me home. I told him I’m pregnant, not completely incapable. He’s been up since the crack of dawn, working on the house. I can get myself home.”

  “He cares about you. Let him spoil you for a change.” He offered a hand when she struggled to get up from the chair. “When are you going to start letting him work the late shifts around here? You ought to be taking it easy.”

  “Right. I told Beck, and I’ll tell you—this place is in my blood. I’ll probably go into labor during the New Year’s Eve party or something. You’ll have to haul me out of here kicking and screaming.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Cash could picture it now, Charlie scaring that baby into staying put until she was damn well ready for it to arrive. He didn’t want to be the one to tell her that all her well-laid plans would get blown to bits as soon as that baby started screaming. He wasn’t that far away from the sleepless nights and dirty diapers that he couldn’t remember how it felt to be at the beck and call of a ten-pound tyrant.

  Charlie gathered the cash and dropped it into a bank bag, then tucked it under her arm. “I did ask Jinx if she could pitch in on some of the office stuff. You proud of me for stepping back a bit?”

  “What kind of office stuff?”

  “Just counting up the deposits, maybe helping with staff schedules for the part-timers. She seems capable.”

  Cash clenched his jaw. “What do you know about her? Did you do a background check?”

  Charlie put a hand on her hip. “Of course I did a background check. All clear. Obviously, she’s experienced behind the bar. Plus, I had her recount the deposit tonight, and she actually told me the number I came up with was short a couple of twenties. Those brand-new bills stick together sometimes, you know?” Charlie shrugged. “She could have pocketed the difference, and I never would have known. What do you have against that poor girl?”

  “Nothing.” How could he explain the sixth sense a law enforcement officer had to deal with, even when off duty, to someone who trusted with her whole heart and soul? “Just be careful, okay?”

  She shook her head, dismissing his concern. “Can you lock up for me?”

  “No problem.” He walked her to the back door just as Beck pulled up in his truck. “Have a good night, Sis.”

  “You too.” She half hugged him before waddling down the steps to her waiting husband.

  Cash turned back to the honky-tonk. Everyone else had cleared out, and an eerie quiet settled over the usually bustling building. He did a quick walk-through to make sure everything was locked up. As he passed the utility room, he thought he heard a dripping sound. He flicked on the light and noticed the faucet hadn’t been turned off completely. Well, damn. He tightened the knob, then wiped his hand on his jeans. Something about the sink looked off. He leaned down to get a better look. Blue. Like someone had spilled some blue food coloring down the damn drain.

  Or maybe blue hair dye.

  Why in the hell would Jinx be washing her hair in the storage room? No matter what Charlie thought, her new employee had to be hiding something. And he wanted to find out what it was. Not because she put him on edge, made him feel like he was standing at the rim of some deep ravine. No, he wanted to make sure she wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on the people he loved.

  Resolved to check her out more thoroughly in the morning, he locked the back door and pulled it closed behind him. Tonight, he’d do what he did every Friday night after a long shift at the bar. Head home, pour himself a stiff one, and try to pass out before he started feeling sorry for himself for what a shitstorm his life had become.

  Buried in thoughts of the past, he almost drove right by the black-jacket-wearing pedestrian. He slowed and pulled up beside her.

  “Where you headed?”

  “None of your business.” Jinx didn’t glance over.

  “Let me give you a ride.” At least she hadn’t disappeared with someone else. For some reason, that realization shed a hint of lightness over his dark heart. “Come on, Jinx.”

  When he mentioned her name, she finally looked over. “Are you following me?”

  “What? No, I’m not following you. I’m heading home. Why don’t you get in the truck?” His tone didn’t leave room for negotiation. But damn if she didn’t keep putting one foot in front of the other.

  “No thanks. I like to walk.”

  “Get in the damn truck,” he growled.

  She kicked at the gravel on the side of the road. “I said I like to walk.”

  He slammed on the brakes, threw the truck in park, and got out. He was used to people doing what he said. His job depended on it. He caught up to her and fell into step beside her. “You don’t mind if I walk with you then, do you?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t need an escort, Deputy.”

  “No. You need to get in the truck. But if you insist on walking, you don’t leave me much choice but to make sure you get where you’re going safe and sound.”

  “And you’re really going to leave your truck here and walk with me wherever I want to go?”

  “Well, I’d rather drive you, but my mama would whup me good if she found out I let a woman walk home alone at three o’clock in the fucking morning.”

  Jinx finally stopped moving. Turning to face him, she squeezed his cheeks together with one hand. “Would she wash your mouth out with soap for saying those four-letter words?”

  Warmth radiated out from where her hand cupped his chin. The full moon bathed her in a shimmery glow, glinting off the dozen earrings and piercings she had through her ears. She smelled fresh, like she’d just doused herself in wildflowers, not spent the past eight hours sweating it out behind the bar. Come to think of it, her hair looked like it might even be damp.

  “Did you shower?” As the words left his mouth, he wanted to chomp down on his tongue.

  Her eyes sparked, then a vacant emptiness took over. She let her hand fall away. The cool night air seemed especially chilly after the warmth of her touch.

  “Yeah. I reeked of beer, so I rinsed off real quick. Charlie said it was okay.” She moved past him and continued to walk.

  “Where are you staying? Let me run you over there so we can both go home and get to bed.”

  “Why does it matter so much? I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself.”

  Charlie was right. Jinx was a big girl. He’d be better off putting the new bartender with the swirly ink and giant attitude out of his mind for good. “Fine. But if you get into a bind, give me a call. You still have my card, right?”

  “Sure.” She lifted a hand to wave over her shoulder. “See ya, Deputy.”

  He stood for a moment, watching her move beyond the reach of his headlights. Jaw clenched, he climbed back into the truck and inched past her on the pavement. With a final look in the rearview mirror, he pressed on the gas and left her behind. Stubborn woman. If she didn’t want his help, he’d stop offering.

  Chapter Six

  A breeze batted the front of the tent, making Jinx want to burrow farther down into her lightweight sleeping bag and fall back asleep. Already November, and she could still sleep outside. Thank goodness for the moderate Texas climate. If she’d been home in Seattle right now, she probably wouldn’t be able to stay in her tent. It didn’t get that cold, but it was a different kind of cold—wet, bone-chilling, damp.

  Hendrix wiggled out from the sleeping bag and scratched at the front of the tent.

  “Now? Seriously, you need to go out now?” She snuggled farther into the sleeping bag. “Just hold it.”

  He didn’t come back, just sat near the front of the tent, pawing at the nylon.

  “Cut it out. You’re going to scratch a hole in it.” She tossed a sock at him, hoping he’d give up and come back to the slee
ping bag. He might only be five pounds, but he generated enough body heat to keep her warm, and right now, she missed the little heater.

  Hendrix barked, short, loud, yips that pierced through the stone-cold silence of the night.

  “Shh. You’re supposed to be quiet so no one knows we’re here.” Jinx unzipped the side of her bag and shrugged into a sweatshirt. She clipped the leash on Hendrix, then let him out into the eerie gray of early morning. Based on his behavior the night before, she didn’t trust him not to wander.

  She waited, trying to keep herself propped upright, wanting nothing more than to crawl back into her sleeping bag and catch a few more hours of shut-eye. But a quick glance at her watch showed she only had an hour until she had to be at the Rambling Rose to set up for the breakfast crowd. Charlie had given her a heads-up that it was a family-friendly shift and to be prepared for a slew of kids.

  She liked kids. Other people’s kids. She’d never let herself imagine having her own someday. Kids needed a mom and a dad. A home without wheels, a stable place to call their own. Not like the funhouse she grew up in. At least until she turned fifteen and left home for good. Her mind wandered for a moment, back to roaming the streets of Rainier Beach with her friends late at night. Anything to get out of her mom’s place. That was then. This was now.

  And now meant she had about ten minutes to throw herself together if she wanted to make the trek to the Rambling Rose in time for her shift. She climbed out of the tent.

  The walk back and forth to the honky-tonk was getting to her. She’d been keeping her eyes open for a spot to camp closer. So far, nothing beat this tract where she’d first parked the bike. The scrubby trees provided a break from the wind, and there was a freshwater stream just a few minutes’ walk through the brush. But she did need to start thinking about a more semipermanent solution. She’d text Jamie today to find out how long she could hold the job in New Orleans. If things looked good on that front, she could bunk with Dixie for a while and still make it to Louisiana before New Year’s.

  Her backpack stuffed with dirty clothes and with a grumpy Chihuahua in his soft-side crate, she set off on the walk back to the Rambling Rose. She arrived in enough time to brush her teeth and put on a touch of makeup in the bathroom.

  For the next couple of hours, she mixed mimosas and hauled trays of Texas French toast and huevos rancheros to the waiting crowd. The kids wanted to touch her hair, and more than once, she caught a skeptical glance from a surly local or concerned parent.

  She was about to sneak off to the backroom to take Hendrix out when someone shrieked her name from the doorway.

  “Jinx!”

  Kenzie barreled across the room, legs and arms flapping like she’d just seen her favorite cartoon character. Jinx caught her right before Kenzie plowed into her. Scrawny arms wrapped around her waist, and a mass of light-brown hair pressed into her gut. Jinx instinctively hugged the kid back.

  Kenzie took two steps backward, grabbed Jinx’s hand, and began tugging her toward the doorway. “Daddy told me you work for Aunt Charlie now. Are you gonna have breakfast with us? I like the French toast sticks. Angelo always makes them look like a face and gives me extra whipped cream. Do you like whipped cream?”

  “I…uh—”

  “You gotta like whipped cream. Papa sometimes squirts it into my mouth from the can.” Kenzie’s voice quieted as she glanced at the older man standing next to her dad. “Oh, I wasn’t supposed to tell Daddy that.”

  “You must be Jinx.” A woman about Jinx’s height enveloped her in a hug.

  Awkward. Who in the hell were these people? So far, Texans sure seemed to like to dole out the hugs. All of them. Well, all of them except the tall, dark, and cranky deputy. Jinx stood still, waiting for the moment to pass.

  Cash cleared his throat. “Sorry, my family’s made up of huggers. Mom, enough already.”

  The words sounded funny coming from the man who couldn’t seem to stand her. He definitely didn’t strike her as a hugger. Or much of a smiler either. The chip on his shoulder seemed to be as big as the double-wide where she’d last seen her own mother.

  Cash’s mom backed away. “I’m sorry. It’s just that Kenzie and Charlie have told us so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  Jinx side-eyed the beaming girl. They’d only met once. What could Kenzie have told them?

  Cash gestured to his mother. “Mom, meet Jinx. Jinx, this is my mom, Ann, and my dad, Tom.” He shifted from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable performing the introductions.

  Tom offered a hand, so Jinx shook it. Warm, rough, the way she imagined a rancher’s hands would feel. Charlie had told her she grew up around here with a ranch full of brothers. Lucky for her she had so much family around.

  “Can you eat with us? Nana, can she?” Kenzie grabbed Jinx’s hand in one of hers and Ann’s in the other.

  “We’d love to have you join us. Kenzie, why don’t you go find a table?” Ann pointed to the far side of the room, at the tables closest to the windows.

  Couldn’t they tell she was on the clock? Surely the logo T-shirt or apron ought to provide a built-in excuse. “Oh, I’m actually working right now. I can’t—”

  “Place is about cleared out, wouldn’t you say?” Tom gestured around the mostly empty room.

  The brunch crowd had come and gone. A few regulars sat on barstools watching a college football game. Dixie walked by at that exact ill-timed moment.

  “You go ahead, Jinx. I’ll cash out the table you’ve got left. Enjoy the break.” She winked, and Jinx vowed to royally screw up her next cocktail order.

  “It’s all settled then. Looks like Kenzie found us a table.” Tom guided his wife toward an empty table where Kenzie sat, swinging her legs in a too-big-for-her chair.

  Jinx looked up at Cash, waiting for him to make up some excuse. She didn’t want to budge her way into their little family lunch.

  Instead, he pulled his mouth into a resigned line. “Shall we?” He gestured toward the table across the room.

  Toward his mom and dad.

  Toward his kid.

  Toward uncharted territory.

  * * *

  Jinx tensed as she stepped in front of him, moving toward the other side of the room. He didn’t blame her. With a deer-in-the-headlights look frozen on her face, she let him direct her across the room to where his family waited. He should have known she’d be here this morning. With Charlie trying to step back a little, she’d probably have Jinx work as many hours as she could handle.

  They reached the table, and he held out a chair for her. Jinx cast a longing look toward the kitchen, then slid onto the seat. If she hadn’t looked so miserable, he might have laughed out loud.

  Kenzie pointed to the chair next to Jinx. “You sit there, Daddy.” She leaned against the back of the chair on Jinx’s other side.

  Flanked by him and his daughter, Jinx seemed to grow more uncomfortable by the second.

  His mom reached across the table and patted Jinx’s hand. “Charlie told us you’re from Seattle?” Jinx nodded. “How long are you in town?”

  “Oh, I’m not sure. I need to get my bike fixed.” Jinx slid her hand out from under his mom’s.

  Cash smirked. Hell, he could sit back and let the info flow. Between Kenzie and his nosy mother, he’d get all the recon he needed.

  “Charlie said you’ll probably be here for at least a month or two. You’ll love the Jingle Bell Jamboree. So much fun. Here in Holiday, we don’t need much excuse for a celebration. There’s always a parade, a festival, or some sort of party going on.”

  Jinx’s eyes widened. Her fingers gripped the edge of the table. The deer in the headlights appeared to be morphing into a wild animal caught in a snap trap.

  “Chill, Mom. She’s just passing through—”

  “Oh!” Ann slapped a palm on the table. “You’ll be
here for Thanksgiving. You’ll come to the house. The Rose is closed that afternoon, and we always have Charlie and the gang over for Thanksgiving dinner.” She nodded to herself, satisfied firm plans had been made, and picked up a menu.

  “Slow down. What if Jinx has other plans?” His dad smiled and nodded toward Jinx. “Do you have other plans, hon?”

  Jinx took in a visible inhale. Her shoulders lifted, and her chest rose. The pink rose on the Rambling Rose logo perched in a precarious position. Every time she took in a breath, the rose on her chest moved. Cash became mesmerized with the rise and fall of her breath.

  “Of course she doesn’t have plans yet. She doesn’t know anyone else in town.” Ann slid her reading glasses to rest on top of her head. “Besides, Cash makes the best sausage stuffing in Texas.”

  “You can sit by me, Jinx. Nana lets us have pie and cookies on Thanksgiving, don’t you?”

  “That’s right, baby doll.” Kenzie beamed under her nana’s wink.

  Cash finally managed to redirect his attention from Jinx’s chest to her face. “How can you say no to cookies and pie?”

  “Gosh, that sounds great. If I’m still here, I’d love to join you.” The words spilled from her mouth, then she chomped down on her lower lip.

  Liar, liar, pants on fire. She had absolutely no intention of joining his family for Thanksgiving. He could tell by the look on her face and the way she chewed on her bottom lip like she wanted to gnaw it off. Too bad for her. Once his mom got something in her head, didn’t matter how crazy it was, she always saw it through. He’d been the victim of many of her harebrained ideas, and it appeared she had her sights set on Jinx next.

  Kenzie poked Jinx in the arm and pointed to her menu. “What’s that say?”

  “Why don’t you sound it out, Tadpole?” He’d confided in his mom about the teacher’s preliminary diagnosis. Maybe now she’d see for herself what they were talking about.